Non-refillable bottle.



PATENTED JAN. 24,1905.

H. TATUM. NON-REFILLA'BLE BOTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1904.

a substitute for the original. ends by the means herewith illustratedand de- UNITED STATEs Patented January 24, 1905.

HAMLING. TATUM, OF, ELBA, ALABAMA.

'NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 780,739, dated January24, 1905.

' Application filed May 19, 1904.. Serial No. 208,769.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HAMLING TATUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elba, county 'of Coffee, State of Alabama, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Non-Refillable Bottles, of whichthe following is a specification, reference-being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to non-refillable bottles; and it consistsin the novel arrangement and construction of its parts, as hereinaftershown and described.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for corking bottles sothat their original contents, once emptied, cannot be refilled. exceptby breaking the bottle or the mechanism, which latter course would serveas an indication that the contents of the bottle was I attain thesescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectionof the entiredevice. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section made atright angles with Fig. 1 and showing the details of the construction ofthe guard or upper stopper. Fig. 3 is a plan view. of the top of thelower stopper, showing the valveseat, friction-ring, top of thecross-bar through which the valve-stem works, and openings showing oneof the spring-catches. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thevalve-mechanism, cage, spring, and weight without the valve proper; andFig. 6 is a horizontal section view of the valve mechanism out on theline 00 w of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 2 is the guard or upper stopper, which consists of'anysuitable material, which is provided with a perpendicular channel 3 aportion of the way through from the top to the bottom, connected with ahorizontal channel 41:, passing through the stopper from side to side,so that it connects with the perpendicular channels 5 5. This stopper isprovided with two or more spring-catches 6, working in the rests 7,provided therefor, and designed to engage. the annular channel 8 in theneckof the bottle. In the lower stopper valve-seat 15, which is thefrustum of a cone.

On this the valve proper, 16, which is also flanged at its edge-in theform of the frustum of a hollow cone, is accurately seated. Surroundingthe hollow cylinderli is a packingring 17, of some elastic material,which adlheres to the said cylinder .1& for the purpose hereinafterdescribed.

1 he operation of my invention is as follows:

,The bottle, jug, or other container specially prepared for thereception of this device by the provision of the annular channel 8 nearits mouth isfirst filled with liquid. The lower stopper, containing thevalve mechanism, is

next introduced a short distance below the annular channel. It is hereheld in position by friction caused by the compression of the ring ofelastic material 17, which by reason of its elasticity tightly gripsboth the hollow cylinder 1 1 and the walls of the neck of the bottle.The upper stopper or guard is next introduced and pressed down until thecatches 6 spring out and engage the annular groove 8, after which it isimpossible to remove the stopper without either destroying it orbreaking the bottle. The purpose of this guard or upper stopper is toprevent the introduction of any tool or instrument for the purpose ofraising the valve mechanism below or in any way interfering'with itsoperation. It is obvious that any liquid introduced from above could notpassthe valve and valve-seat 16 and 15, inasmuch as the former is heldtightly against the latter by the action of the spring 12. When thebottle is tipped so that the neck is very slightly lower than the base,the weight passes through openings in the upper part of the rectangularframe 13 and as the smallest dimension of the bar forming the top of theframe is considerably less than the diameter of the opening through thevalve seat 15 there is plenty of room for the liquid to run out throughthe openings 18. The liquid having passed through the valve has easyaccess through the guard or upper stopper by means of the channels 5,4c, and 3, and as the channel 3 is relatively large to the channels 4and 5 and as there are two or more sets of the channels 4 and 5 it Willbe readily seen that suflicient provision has been made to allow ingressof air. The construction of the valve and valve-seat 16 and 15 isparticularly important, and the substitution of any other form of valveshould not be considered as an equivalent,inasmuch as this form hascertain advantages inherent in its construction not found in any other.An attempt to introduce liquid through the guard or upper stopper isprevented not only by the tension of the spring 12, but by the fact thatthe valve 16 is in the form of a cap and the more pressure is exertedupon it from the outside the more tightly it rests upon its seat 15.Furthermore, this form of construction is much less likely to clogshould the liquid contained in the bottle be of a thick or viscouscharacter. Furthermore, the valve of the character as described Will betight in spite of inaccuracies in grinding, inasmuch as it has threedistinct bearing-surfaces, Whereas many other forms of valves have butone. Another point of superiority of this form of non-refillable bottleover similar forms is found in the construction of the wire cage 9. ItWill be observed that as this cage is larger at the bottom than it is.at the top the weight is forced to rest entirely on the valve-stem 16should the bottle be turned completely upside down. However, one of theparticular points of superiority in my invention is found in the factthat it is operative if the neck of the bottle is tipped slightly belowthe horizontal, as there is nothing to prevent the weight 10 fromimpinging upon the valve-stem 11 as long as the side bars of the cage 9are put in a position slightly tipped from the horizontal. As such aposition for the bottle is the most natural for pouring liquids and asthe tipping of the bottle completely upside down is most inconvenient,this point is of particular importance.

Having now described. my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a bottle, a cylinder adapted to be located in theneck thereof, said cylinder having upon its top a flange in the form ofa frustum of a cone which forms a valve-seat, a valve having at its edgea flange also formed on the frustum of a hollow cone and adapted toengage the flange of the cylinder, a stem attached to said valve andpassing through the cylinder, a means for retaining the valve normallyclosed and a means for engaging the valve-stem to unseat the valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signalai re in the presence of twowitnesses.

HAMLlNG TATIUM VVitn esses:

B. DIXON ARMSTRONG, J. D. LEE.

